The New Cold War Heats Up

I don't know what it'll take to convince the pundits that we've entered a new Cold War. Maybe the resumption of Russia's strategic bomber flights around the world?

Russia will immediately resume long-range strategic bomber flights on a "permanent" basis, ending a 15-year suspension of the missions, President Vladimir Putin has said.
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Soviet bombers routinely flew such missions to areas from which nuclear-tipped cruise missiles could be launched at the United States. But that stopped in the post-Soviet economic meltdown.

At the same time, we have China and Russia collaborating via their membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO):

The United States will be anxiously watching the military manoeuvres - held under the auspices of the six-member Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) - from afar after its request to send observers was rejected.

Washington has plenty of reasons to be uneasy. Founded in 2001, the SCO, which includes the four central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyztan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as well as China and Russia, is rapidly gaining a reputation as an anti-Western organisation.

That image seems to be one that Mr Putin is happy to cultivate. Analysts say that the Russian president believes the organisation is emerging as a bloc that is rapidly becoming powerful enough to stand up to the West.

Russia's most pro-government newspapers, often used by the Kremlin as propaganda vehicles, yesterday proclaimed the arrival of an "anti-Nato" alliance and a "Warsaw Pact 2".

Let's review. SCO was formed in 2001 to oppose US influence in the Middle East. Shortly after its formation, China and Russia dramatically increased their arms sales to Iran. China and Russia have been building solid economic and political ties for the past 5 years, and are now developing military ties. They are also expanding the membership of SCO, which will soon include nearly all the nations of Central Asia, most notably India, Iran, and Pakistan.

The experts tell us not to be concerned, because

"most analysts believe that an underlying antagonism between the member states means that the SCO is far from cohesive, a charge that reduces its chances to be effective."

But the level of cooperation between China and Russia is unprecedented, the level of international influence of China is unprecedented, and the economic development of China, Russia, and India is unprecedented (at least in modern times). It's a new game with new rules: relying on old grudges to save us completely ignores the evidence of the past 5 years.

But the words "Cold War" are cropping up more frequently in the press, as they slowly note the similarities between the present and the previous Cold War. I just hope the words are cropping up in the State Department as well.